Jade's POV

The words didn't make sense at first.

"You are under arrest for stealing the Princes' diamond rings."

For a second, my mind just.. blanked. Like the world stopped moving. Like the air froze in my chest.

"W... What?!" I finally choked out, staring at the guard like he'd grown two heads.

Before I could even reach for my school bag or grab the rings to inspect them, the guard's grip tightened brutally around my arm and yanked me forward. I stumbled, almost falling on my face, but he didn't care. His fingers dug painfully into my skin.

"I didn't steal anything!" I screamed, my voice cracking. "Those are not mine! I don't even know how those rings got there!"

They ignored me.

Of course they did.

Mum rushed forward, her face twisted with fear. "Please.... wait! There must be a mistake. My daughter would never...."

A guard shoved her so violently she flew backward and hit the ground with a harsh thud.

"Mum!" I screamed, trying to wrench myself free. "Leave her! Don't touch her! Mum!"

She groaned, trying to sit up, one hand pressed to her rib. She looked so small. So helpless. And the guards. they didn't even look at her. As if she were nothing.

As if we were nothing.

"Move!!!," the one holding me barked, dragging me toward the door.

"Please, listen!" I cried, kicking the ground, trying to dig my heels in. "I don't know anything about the rings, I didn't take them! I swear I didn't take anything! Let me go! Mum!"

My mother struggled to her feet and reached for me again.

"Jade...!"

"Mum!"

Another guard blocked her, pushing her away with his arm and pinning her back against the wall. She winced, pain shooting across her expression.

"You have no right..!" I screamed at him, but the guard holding me only tightened his grip.

"No right?" he sneered. "We have every right. Theft against the Alpha's family is punishable by imprisonment or death. You should be grateful we're even taking you alive."

My heart dropped.

Death?

My legs gave out for a moment, and I was dragged more than I was walking. "I didn't steal anything! Please! Please listen to me!"

No one answered.

No one cared.

They dragged me out of the small room, my home, my safe place, and down the corridor. The morning air outside slapped my face, cold and sharp. People in the pack compound turned to stare. Some whispered. Some laughed.

Traitor's daughter, their eyes seemed to say. Caught at last.

I wanted to scream at all of them. I wanted to tear their smirks off their faces. Instead, my throat tightened and burned.

"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I didn't. I didn't take anything."

But even I knew it didn't matter.

To them, I was already guilty.

They dragged me to the holding cells behind the pack's judicial building. A cold metal door screeched open. The cell inside was small and dark, with nothing but a concrete floor and iron bars.

The guard shoved me inside.

I hit the ground hard, my knees scraping painfully against the rough concrete.

Before I could push myself up, the iron door clanged shut behind me. The sound echoed in my ears like a death sentence.

"Wait, no, please!" I rushed to the bars and grabbed them. "At least tell me what happens next! At least, listen to me! I didn't steal anything! You're making a mistake!"

"Await your judgment," the guard said coldly. "The Princes will decide your fate."

Then they walked away.

Just like that.

As if they had tossed trash into a bin.

Their footsteps faded, leaving the cell wrapped in silence.

My hands shook as I let go of the bars, and I slowly sank to the floor. My knees pulled to my chest, arms wrapped around them. The sting in my eyes increased until tears spilled over, dripping onto my pants.

It was my birthday.

I turned eighteen today.

And instead of celebrating my shift. instead of having a normal day. I was locked in a cell being accused of stealing from the very boys who made my life hell.

I wiped my face roughly with the back of my hand, angry that I was even crying.

This. this couldn't be real.

Who framed me?

Who put those rings in my bag?

I pressed my palm to my forehead, feeling lightheaded again.

Everything hurt, my body, my pride, my chest.

Was this really how my birthday was going to start? Sitting alone in a cold cell, waiting for a judgment that could easily end my life?

My tears fell again before I could stop them.

"I didn't steal anything," I whispered to myself, hugging my knees tighter. "I didn't do anything."

But nobody could hear me.

And even if they did.

Would anyone care enough to believe me?

A thought suddenly slammed into my mind so hard it made me gasp.

Linda.

Yesterday. in the triplets' room. right before she left...

She had bent over the sofa to get her purse and I saw her hand brush over the table.

I remembered something shiny in her palm, something small she quickly slipped into her bag before flashing that sugary smile.

My chest tightened.

Could it.. could it have been the rings?

Did she take them?

Was she the one who framed me?

But why?

Why would she go that far?

Did she hate me that much?

My stomach twisted painfully. Of course she did. She has proved that time and time again. But this? Stealing from the princes and planting it on me? That wasn't harmless bullying. That was a death sentence.

Before I could think anymore, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor.

I looked up, wiping my face with shaky hands.

Ronan.

Ryder.

Renzo.

They stood in front of the iron bars, their faces unreadable, their eyes on me like I was some creature trapped in a cage.

I shot to my feet instantly, stumbling to the door and gripping the bars tightly.

"Please, listen to me," I rushed out. My voice trembled, but I pushed the words out anyway. "I didn't take the rings. I swear I didn't. I think.... I think Linda took them. Yesterday, when she was leaving your room, I saw her grab something shiny...."

Ryder laughed sharply, a cruel snort.

The sound cut through me like a blade.

"Of course you'd blame Linda," he said, shaking his head as if I were stupid. "Typical."

Ronan's eyes narrowed with disgust.

"Keep Linda's name out of your filthy mouth," he spat.

Filthy mouth.

Of course.

As if I was something rotten.

My throat tightened, but I forced myself to meet his eyes.

Renzo.

"You also don't believe me?" I whispered. I hated how small my voice sounded. How desperate.

Renzo's expression didn't flicker. His face was carved from stone, cold, distant, merciless.

"The rings were found in your bag," he said. "That's all the evidence we need."

A tear escaped before I could stop it.

So that was it.

They wouldn't even consider the possibility that I was innocent.

Ryder stepped forward, his eyes burning with hatred.

"You're going to be punished for being too greedy, Jade," he said. "Those rings were an heirloom from our late mother, and you decided to steal them."

"No, no, I didn't...."

"I suggest she be stripped naked and flogged fifty times," Ronan said, his voice dripping with venom.

My blood ran cold.

"What?!" I gasped, my hands trembling on the bars. "Strip me....? Fifty...? You can't be serious..."

Renzo took a slow step closer, eyes locking onto mine with a glare that made my breath catch.

He looked at me like I was the worst thing he had ever seen.

"What?" he said softly. "Are you surprised? You think that's too much?"

My heart pounded so loudly it hurt.

"But that's nothing," he continued, voice dropping lower, harsher, "compared to everything you've done so far, Jade. You should be grateful we're not doing the usual and sending you to be killed for your crimes."

Killed.

Crimes???

The word made my knees weaken.

"That's right." Ryder leaned in, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Fifty lashes is already us going easy on you, Jade. You."

The word you hung unfinished in the air, and another, far more authoritative YOU crashed over it, sharp and final.

"YOU will not suffer this punishment."

Every head snapped around in unison, turning toward the source of the sound.

Jade's POV

We all turned our heads toward the direction of the voice.

"Father?" Ronan called out first.

Alpha Dante Ashridge stepped into view, walking toward us with the calm, confident stride of a man who owned every piece of ground he stepped on. His presence alone seemed to make the air heavier, tighter, more dangerous.

"Good morning, Dad," Ryder greeted, straightening his posture.

"Morning, Father," Renzo added.

Alpha Dante acknowledged them with a small nod. Then his gaze shifted, landing on me through the bars of the cell.

Just for a moment.

But that single moment was enough to send a cold shiver through my entire body.

His eyes were sharp. Calculating. The kind of stare that made you feel seen and invisible at the same time.

"The girl will not be stripped naked and flogged fifty times," he repeated, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

"Why?" Ronan blurted out in disbelief.

I wanted to know that too.

Why would he, the Alpha, the man who had signed off on my father's death, intervene for me?

Alpha Dante turned his attention back to me, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Your mother came to beg me to help you," he said.

My heart twisted painfully.

Of course she did. She would do anything to save me, including throwing herself at the feet of the man who ordered her husband's death.

"You might be a traitor's daughter," he continued, his voice deep and steady, "but you are still part of my pack. And your father's end might have been.. unfortunate," he paused, choosing his words carefully, "but before he allowed himself to be corrupted, he was a great asset to this pack. A man with great accomplishments."

I swallowed hard, disbelief swirling inside me.

I've never heard him speak about my father like that.

Not publicly.

Not privately.

Not ever.

"So because of that," Alpha Dante concluded, "and because of your mother's pleas, you shall only be flogged twenty strokes. And no stripping naked."

Only twenty.

Only.

My stomach clenched.

Twenty is still a lot!!!

Alpha Dante turned around without another word, his cloak sweeping across the floor as he strode away. The moment his presence vanished around the corner, the sound of heavy boots thundered toward the cell.

Two guards appeared almost instantly.

The bars screeched open.

Cold hands clamped around my arms.

They dragged me out like garbage being pulled to the curb. The triplets stood exactly where their father had left them, shoulder to shoulder, blank faced, empty eyed, as if I were a stranger.. or worse.

A problem.

Ronan didn't flinch. Ryder didn't blink. Renzo's jaw was locked so tight I thought it would crack, but he said nothing.

None of them said anything.

I didn't cry. I had learned now that crying did nothing but feed them.

My feet scraped against the stones as the guards dragged me through the main courtyard toward the punishment grounds, a raised wooden platform with iron loops bolted into a table stained by old blood. The air smelled of dust, rot, and the metallic sting of dread. My dread.

People began gathering the moment they saw me being hauled toward the stand. Whispering. Pointing. Hungry for the spectacle.

"She's the former beta's daughter"

"The traitor."

"Just like her father"

Their murmurs rolled across my skin, but I kept walking. Or rather, I let myself be dragged.

The guards slammed me onto the cold wooden table. The restraints snapped over my wrists and ankles, forcing my cheek flat against the wood. My breath trembled, but I didn't fight.

"Twenty lashes," one guard barked.

The crowd quieted.

The whip cracked.

Pain detonated across my back like fire ripping through paper. I sucked in a sharp breath, biting down on my scream. The wood under me blurred as tears threatened, but I refused to let them fall.

Second stroke.

My vision sparked.

Third.

My lips parted. A sound almost escaped.

And then....

I saw her.

Linda.

Standing in the front of the crowd, arms folded over her chest, her expression blooming into the widest, sweetest, most venomous smile I had ever seen. She watched the whip carve into my skin as if she were watching fireworks. Her eyes glowed with something sick. something triumphant.

The anger that roared to life inside me was instant, hot, electric, feral. It ripped through the pain, swallowed it whole. And as if the universe felt my fury, the strokes grew weaker. Slower. Like the guard was tiring.. or my rage was numbing every nerve in my body.

Either way, by the time the twentieth lash landed, it barely stung.

The crowd had begun to lose interest, murmuring and drifting away like bored spectators after the main act was done. The restraints were released, and I slid off the wooden table, wincing as the sore skin stretched.

Before I could take a full breath, she stepped forward.

Linda.

Perfect hair. Perfect clothes. Perfect cruelty.

"Oh my Jade," she cooed, tilting her head with exaggerated pity. "How did this happen to you on your birthday?"

Her voice was dripping with sweetness, so sweet it made me nauseous.

I stared at her, disgust crawling up every inch of me. "Stop with the stupid act, Linda. I know you're behind this."

She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Jade, that's such a horrible thing to say. I would never do this to you."

She took one slow step closer, her breath brushing my ear as her tone dropped into its true form, cold, sharp, poisonous.

"Too bad you were just flogged and not sentenced to death like your traitorous father."

My heart stuttered.

"If you don't want more.. accidents like this," she whispered, "then stay away from my boys."

She pulled back with that same fake smile plastered across her face as if she hadn't just threatened my life.

Then she extended a glittering envelope toward me.

"Anyway," she chirped, voice bright again, "I'm having a birthday party this evening. My wolf will be awakened, and it'll finally be confirmed that the triplets are my mates."

Her smile sharpened.

"You should come, since it's your birthday too." She glanced meaningfully at my bleeding back. "Though it seems you're already having so much fun."

Linda laughed, loud, bright, cruel, and sauntered away, the invitation dangling between my fingers.

I stared at it, the anger was still burning in my veins.

Linda's laughter echoed in my head, poisonous and sharp, and for a moment, all I wanted was to turn around and claw that smirk off her face.

But then....

A movement caught my eye.

Renzo.

He was walking across the yard, fast, purposeful, but strangely.. discreet. Hood low, shoulders tense, steps clipped like he didn't want anyone to notice him.

Renzo never walked like that.

He moved like a prince, confident, loud, unavoidable.

But right now?

He was like a shadow.

Curiosity tugged at me, overpowering even the throbbing pain in my back. Something about his posture. the secrecy.. It was enough to pull me away from my rage.

So I followed him.

Keeping my steps light, head low, staying behind collapsed crates and stone columns as I trailed him past the main houses, past the training grounds, and toward the stables. He didn't look back once. If he had, I knew he would've sensed me instantly, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

He slipped behind the last stable, the part no one used anymore because the roof leaked and smelled like mold.

I crept up silently until I was close enough to hear voices.

Then I froze.

Renzo wasn't alone.

The guard who flogged me, the same man who had dragged the whip across my skin twenty times, was standing in front of him, head bowed.

"I did as you said, my prince," the guard murmured. "I loosened my grip on the whip and didn't flog her half as hard as I normally would other people. And I tried my best to make sure no one noticed I was going easy on her."

My stomach dropped.

What?

My breath caught in my throat as Renzo reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch, heavy, judging by the metallic clink that sounded when he dropped it into the guard's hand.

"Do not mention this to anyone," Renzo said coldly. His voice was low, sharp, the kind of tone he used when he issued commands meant to be obeyed without question.

"Yes, my prince. My lips are sealed," the guard said quickly, bowing again. He pocketed the coins eagerly and sauntered off, whistling under his breath.

Renzo turned to leave.

I ducked behind a stack of wooden buckets, my heart pounding. If he caught me spying, I didn't know what he'd do to me.

I waited until his footsteps faded before I slowly stepped out and watched him walking away, his shoulders rigid.

My mind spun.

Renzo. paid the guard?

Paid him to go easy on me?

My fingers trembled against my sides.

The reason the strokes had become weaker. less painful. wasn't luck.

It wasn't the guard getting tired.

It wasn't my anger numbing me.

It was Renzo.

Renzo, who wouldn't even look at me when I was dragged out.

Renzo, who always kept the coldest distance.

Renzo, who to hated everything I was.

Why.?

Why would he do that?

My chest tightened comfortably.

He hated me.

He always made that clear.

So why would he secretly protect me.?